[Child of the 7th Age]

Child, Birdland, Pio, and Veritas stared in disbelief. They slid off the dragon. This is not what they had expected to see. Not a single orc was anywhere in sight.

A sad and shivering Rose ran crying into Child's arms.

"It's alright, Rose, I know it wasn't really you. Only next time try to use your brain a little more, and share your fears with your friends."

Rose hurriedly garbled out the story of what had happened and then pointed to the single large figure in the middle of the field. It was the most atrocious thing Child had ever seen....gleeming metal armor with spikes, roaring with laughter, evil pouring out of every orifice in its huge filthy body.

Even looking at him made Child wanted to throw up everything she'd eaten in the past two days. The thing reached down to Samwise and picked him up by the back of the neck with a single finger. Frodo was advancing toward the figure with his tiny phial and Sting, but he looked like an ant next to this monstrous pile of metal. Stacey and Primrose were but an inch from that horrid ugly foot that stamped and restamped the ground.

Overhead, all was Dark. It looked as if the sun had died, and would never return again.

Suddenly, from nowhere, came a golden flash. Angara, beautiful to behold and full of righteous anger, raised his body and swept across the field in the direction of the metal monster, smoke and flames tumbling out of his outstretched mouth.........

[ June 04, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]